The 9 best things Emma Thompson has said about the joys of ageing

-Aug 6, Hannah Hargrave , Living -

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Emma Thompson is 60-years-old and absolutely loving life! The fabulous Oscar-winning couldn’t care less about her age, in fact with every year that’s thrown her way she practically jumps for joy. To celebrate her vigour for getting older Lumity rounded up some favourite mood-boosting, age-busting words of wisdom from the enthusiastic actress.

Almost forty-years in the entertainment industry hasn’t dampened Emma’s lust for life or her career and she’s as enthusiastic now, perhaps even more so, as she was back in the early 80s.

Although she’s had her fair shares of ups and downs – divorce, depression and IVF – she’s ridden her rollercoaster with grace, honestly and a good sense of humour too.

Emma has been married to her second husband, Greg Wise, since 2003 and they have a daughter, Gaia, 19 and grown son Tindy – a former child solider and Rwandan orphan – who they informally adopted as a teenager.

She’s a Dame, although she jokes she’s always been one with a lower case d, an environmentalist and Emma’s determined to live life to the limits.

Here are some of the best, most inspiring comments she’s made about getting older.

What Emma Thompson really thinks about ageing

“The denial of ageing is unhealthy,” she insists. “It’s always been.”

She’s free to look for new ideas

“As I get older…I’m released by my boredom,” she says. “I no longer bother. I’m free to go and look for new ideas and new voices. I’m able with absolute comfort and ease to reject so much. It’s fantastic being this age. I’m old…I mean ‘old’ in the really good sense of the word.”

Why Emma feels fortunate

“It feels extremely fortunate,” she says to be alive. “My dad died at 52. My uncle was 51. My sister-in-law, a couple years ago at 51. I’ve got quite a number of friends who have dropped off. You can’t take survival for granted. What else do I feel? The work I’m doing is more fulfilling and happy-making than ever. I think your 60s, if you are well, are the most fantastic decade.”

She’s over the menopause

“Kids grown up: bye! Marriage, if you’ve managed that long — 20 or more years — you’re fine. So this should be one of the most powerful patches of your life, the youth of old age as it were. I’d say it’s the best bit ever.”

“When you get older it’s much easier to hold onto that appreciation [of life] because you’re more mortal. I want to enjoy every minute and use the wisdom that I’ve accrued whilst acknowledging my fallibility and the continuance of all sorts of foolishness. It’s so enjoyable to be alive in this state.”

“I’ve never felt so powerful and so calm. I just don’t care, because I’m too old. It’s such a great feeling,”

“The age thing is insane,” Emma says. “I remember saying years and years ago, when I was 35, that they’d have to exhume somebody to play my leading man…Nothing’s changed in that regard. If anything, it’s got worse.”

Why Emma’s happier now than ever

“I don’t think…that I have ever enjoyed being alive as much as I do now.”

If you enjoyed Emma Thompson’s take on life then you might also like to read why Emma Forbes says she feels better at 52 than she did at 32 an why Julianne Moore insists it’s a privilege to get older.